


nothing’s even compared to you next to me

by manesalex



Series: Next to Me [1]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex Manes Needs a Hug, M/M, Malex Week 2020, POV Alex Manes, Past Maria DeLuca/Michael Guerin, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, self worth issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25272694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manesalex/pseuds/manesalex
Summary: Michael and Alex go out of town on a mission. And their hotel room? There’s only one bed.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Series: Next to Me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1830961
Comments: 10
Kudos: 122





	nothing’s even compared to you next to me

Alex frowns as he gets out of Michael’s truck, trying not to put too much weight on his prosthetic as he gets both of his feet on the ground. He winces a bit at the added pressure. Normally, he’s good at hiding it. But normally, he hasn’t spent the last four hours in a truck with his ex _something_.

He knows he should be happy about it. They’re finally getting along well. Michael has been focusing on himself since his breakup with Maria and the changes? Well, Alex is proud of him. He loves seeing Michael happier and lighter. It seems like a lot of his anger is gone. But, after getting so used to that anger, Alex is unused to Michael being kind to him again. He doesn’t know what to do about it. He knows what he _wants_ to do about it, of course. But he also knows they have a lot of talking to do before they get there. If Michael even wants to get there.

“What do you think about ordering room service?” Michael asks when he rounds the truck. “After we check in? Isobel’s paying, after all.” He’s grinning wickedly and Alex’s heart wants to burst out of his chest at the sight.

“I’d like that,” Alex replies, ducking his head to look at the ground, trying to hide his blush. He tells himself it’s just his imagination that Michael is suggesting this because he noticed Alex is in pain.

Before he can reach the truck bed, Michael’s hauling both of their bags over his shoulder and leading the way into the lobby, Alex close behind.

Michael checks in and gets the room key, grabbing Alex’s hand before heading to the elevator.

Alex is hyper-aware of the warmth of Michael’s skin, the way his calluses are brushing against Alex’s skin, the way his thumb is tracing circles on the back of Alex’s hand. He’s never had a guy hold his hand before, but he instantly knows he likes it. He’d like it more if this were more than Michael just… doing whatever Michael is doing.

“So tomorrow, we check out the coordinates Flint gave us?” Michael asks.

“Yeah. First thing in the morning, I think?” Alex suggests. He squashes the urge to make a joke about that not being noon. He knows how much Michael’s been working on himself and, now that he knows how his attempts at levity have hurt Michael, he’s trying to be more careful about them.

“Only if you treat me to coffee first,” Michael replies and, if Alex didn’t know better, he’d swear Michael is flirting with him. But, no, they’re just friends now. That’s the way Michael wanted it.

“Deal,” he agrees quickly, following Michael off the elevator and to their door.

“This place is far fancier than any place I’ve been,” Michael comments as Alex waves their card in front of the reader at the door.

“Me too,” Alex admits softly.

Alex is turned halfway around, talking to Michael as he walks, so he only notices something is wrong when Michael freezes.

He turns to look at the room and sees that there is only one bed in the room.

“I’ll, um, I’ll sleep on the floor,” Michael says quickly. Alex looks back at him to find him looking away.

“No, Guerin, you take the bed,” Alex quickly argues. “I can-”

“Darlin’,” Michael starts, surprising Alex with the endearment. “I’m not gonna make you sleep on the floor. Not if I can help it.”

“So we’ll share the bed then,” Alex says, trying to act like it’s nothing. Even though the thought of sharing a bed with Michael Guerin again, even if it’s entirely platonic bed-sharing, is overwhelming. “It’s big. We have lots of space.”

“You sure?” Michael asks,

Alex wishes he knew which answer Michael wants to hear, but he answers with a “Yes.”

“Okay then,” Michael agrees easily, turning to set their bags down while Alex looks for a room service menu.

The rest of the night is as uneventful as a night spent sharing a bed with Michael Guerin could ever be.

Michael lets him use the shower first, not commenting on how much Alex covers up before leaving the bathroom, just giving him a soft smile when Alex exits, before entering the bathroom himself, giving Alex time to get into bed and pretend to be asleep.

Alex can’t resist the urge to open his eyes just a crack when he hears the bathroom door open.

He wishes he could reach out and touch that familiar skin, even just to hold Michael close and inhale that familiar scent of rain. But he forces himself to close his eyes again as Michael rounds the bed.

He can feel the mattress dip a bit with Michael’s weight.

“Alex?” Michael asks softly.

“Yeah?” Alex responds carefully, abandoning his attempt to pretend to be asleep.

“Thank you for coming with me for this.”

“You’re welcome,” Alex replies easily. He wishes he had the courage to close the distance between them, to ask for what he wants. But he’s terrified of losing this hard-won friendship they’ve built.

“You’re thinking kinda loudly over there,” Michael comments. “Anything I can help you with?”

Alex takes a deep breath, slowly letting it out, “Can I ask you something without worrying it’ll ruin our friendship?”

“Darlin’, unless you’ve decided to start hunting my kind, I don’t think there’s anything you could say to me that would ever do that.” And there’s that endearment again.

Alex nods, biting his lip and considering how to word it, “Would you mind holding me? I, um, I-”

“It would be my pleasure,” Michael interrupts his attempts to find an excuse that doesn’t sound as pathetic as Alex feels.

He can feel the mattress shifting a bit until Michael is pressed close behind him, bare chest pressed against Alex’s t-shirt. He can feel the inhuman heat that Michael radiates and it, combined with the smell of rain, makes him relax instantly. Michael’s arm wraps around him, pulling him just a bit closer, and Alex sighs with relief.

It doesn’t take long for him to drift off to sleep after that. He’s not sure whether the feeling of lips against the back of his neck are real or just a wonderful dream.


End file.
